


For Each Other

by LyriaBlackFrost



Series: Fic Requests [32]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Mutual Support, Phantom Thieves of Hearts as Family, Ryuji being loved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28194585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Ryuji hates to see the people he cares about sad or worried, so he always does everything he can to help them when they need it.It sometimes escapes his mind that his friends feel the same way about him.
Relationships: Sakamoto Ryuji & Phantom Thieves of Heart
Series: Fic Requests [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1141385
Comments: 9
Kudos: 58
Collections: Quality Persona Fics





	For Each Other

**Author's Note:**

> An anon requested a 5+1 fic with Ryuji helping the others and being helped in return… It ended up as a 8+1 instead, because the entire group deserves a chance to appreciate the best boy. :)
> 
> I hope you like it!

While they played video games in Akira’s bedroom, Ryuji could only partially pay attention to whatever was happening on the screen. Most of his mind was focused on Akira, instead… He was trying hard to act natural, but it wasn’t difficult to notice something strange behind his cheerful manners.

When they reached the end of that level, Ryuji let go of the controller, turning to face his friend.

“Hey, Aki… What’s wrong?”

Akira looked at him, seeming slightly lost.

“What?”

“You’ve been actin’ kinda strange today…” explained Ryuji. “You’re worried about somethin’, right?”

“I guess so.”

He didn’t say anything else, but Ryuji wasn’t willing to drop the subject so quickly.

“Wanna talk about it?” he asked.

Akira shook his head, a slightly bitter smile on his lips.

“It’s really stupid,” he said.

“It ain’t stupid if it’s worryin’ you.” Ryuji reached for his head, gently messing his hair. “You don’t need to talk about it if you don’t wanna, but… I don’t like seein’ you like this, y’know? If somethin’ is wrong, you can tell me, so we can find a way to fix things.”

Thankfully, his words seemed to be enough to make Akira think about it. He stayed silent for a moment, then let out a low sigh.

“I just have been thinking about some things,” said Akira.

“What things?”

“It’s just…” He stopped for a moment, struggling with the words. “I just don’t know if I’m ready for this… Being a leader, and all that. Someone like Makoto would be much better in my place, but… When I tried to talk about it with her, she dismissed it as me thinking like that because she’s older. She thinks I’m doing a good job, but…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. Ryuji observed him for a while before answering.

“‘Course she does,” he said. “You’ve been leadin’ us for months now, and things are goin’ great.”

“But that doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing.” Retorted Akira in a frustrated voice. “I feel like everyone just decided that I should be the leader, and now I have no choice but to pretend that I am. That I’m, you know… Joker.”

Those words made Ryuji furrow his brow.

“Aren’t you, though?”

“No,” answered Akira in a firm tone. “Joker is just… What I want to be, I guess. He has all the strength and confidence I wish I had. I can’t be like that in the real world.”

“You really think so?”

Akira forced a humorless chuckle.

“You don’t know how hard it is to pretend I know how to be a leader… And how scared I am of disappointing all of you.”

Ryuji didn’t say anything for a while, simply observing him. He already knew Akira had the tendency to overthink things, but he had never expressed any of those doubts when it came to his role as a leader. Maybe he was a good actor, or maybe Ryuji just hadn’t paid enough attention, but now that he had said those words, they made perfect sense. Akira was the same age as Ryuji himself, and had already gone through more shit than any person should have. Still, he was smart, kind, and ready to help anyone who needed it. It just seemed natural to look at him as their leader, but… neither of them had ever asked him if that was what _he_ wanted, had they?

“Hey, Aki…” He let his hand fall to Akira’s shoulder. “If it’s botherin’ you, then we can talk to them at our next meeting. You’re a good leader, so we didn’t really think if you wanted to be one or not… We just went with the flow, I guess?”

Akira responded with a small nod, without looking at him.

“But, y’know…” proceeded Ryuji. “I don’t think any of us expect you to be anyone else but yourself. We like Joker ‘cause he’s part of you, but the person who we really admire is Akira Kurusu. You’re always doin’ whatever you can to help everyone, and to stop evil people from hurtin’ others. Even if it gets you in trouble, you still do the right thing. I mean, man… That day, when we first found Kamoshida’s palace, you could’ve just ran away and left me there. I wouldn’t even blame you for that.” He made a pause, the memory bringing a slight smile to his lips. “But you stayed behind, for a guy you didn’t even know. And, in a way, seein’ you do somethin’ so stupid and brave like that made me want to be more like you. Y’know, someone who makes a difference.”

Akira raised his eyes at him, still seeming uncertain.

“Is this really how you see me?” he asked.

Ryuji nodded.

“I was ready to give up on school and all that before I met you…” he said. “I felt like I couldn’t trust anyone, and that I couldn’t do anythin’ right. You showed me I was wrong. And I’m just one person you helped… There are many more out there who’d agree with me.”

He placed his arm around Akira’s shoulders, moving closer to him.

“It’s fine if you don’t wanna be a leader,” he added. “I just don’t want you to think you don’t deserve to be one, okay?”

Akira showed a tiny smile.

“Yes.”

“So, think about what you wanna do,” said Ryuji. “No matter what it is, I’m sure everyone will understand.”

After a moment of hesitation, Akira met Ryuji’s gaze.

“Actually…” he said. “I think I’ll try it a little longer.”

“That’s great!”

Ryuji offered him a wide smile. Akira giggled to himself, then threw his arms around Ryuji’s waist, hugging it tightly while rubbing his head against his chest. That reaction made Ryuji laugh as well.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Just hugging my best friend.”

“Don’t you say…?”

Without thinking much, Ryuji placed a hand on Akira’s head, caressing his fluffy hair. Akira let out a few low, pleased noises, just like the giant cat that he was.

“Weird little thing,” murmured Ryuji.

* * *

When Ryuji arrived at Shibuya, Ann was already there, waiting for him. Looking at her face only confirmed his suspicion that something was wrong. As he approached, she looked at him, forcing a sad half-smile.

“I’m sorry for calling you out of nowhere…” she said.

“It’s fine.”

They made their way to a small cafe without speaking much, taking their seats on the back. He waited for Ann to speak, but she stayed silent for a long while, with her gaze low. When Ryuji couldn’t hold back his concern any longer, he finally broke the silence.

“What’s wrong?”

Ann closed her eyes, and her lips trembled. _Shit, she was about to cry…_

“I visited Shiho earlier today,” she murmured.

Ryuji’s heart sank with that answer. He should have expected something like that, but…

“Is she fine?”

“Yes.” Ann pressed her lips into a line. “I mean… She’s recovering. But the doctors said she won’t… that she won’t be able to keep playing. Maybe sports in general aren’t an option for her anymore.”

“Ah…”

He couldn’t find an answer. He couldn’t even begin to imagine everything Shiho had been through, but the feeling of having the thing you loved the most taken away from you… He was familiar with that one. Before he could find anything to say, Ann proceeded in a low, shaky voice.

“It was my fault, wasn’t it?”

Ryuji stared at her, surprised.

“Why?”

“I made Kamoshida angry at me, and he…” Her voice failed for a moment. “Used it against her. If I had been stronger, then—”

“Stop it,” Ryuji interrupted her. “You didn’t have to do anythin’. What that guy did was his fault, and his fault alone. Shiho went through a lot because of him, but so did you. Neither of you did anythin’ wrong.”

Ann stayed quiet for a few seconds.

“She said it too, that it wasn’t my fault,” she said. “But I still feel like it was… At least a little. I shouldn’t have left her side… If at least she wasn’t alone with him…” Her voice broke, and she briefly shook her head before continuing. “I just wish I had done things differently. If I had, maybe none of this would’ve happened.”

As much as he knew it wasn’t Ann’s fault, Ryuji could understand why she felt that way. Still, he knew that allowing those feelings to linger only made it much harder for them to go away later. The problem was… What could he even do to help?

“Listen…” he murmured. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you went through. But when you say you regret it, I understand. I kinda regret the way I did things too.” He made a pause. “After he broke my leg, I… I was so angry at everythin’ that I pushed you and Shiho away from me. And, ‘cause of that, you didn’t tell me what you were goin’ through. It makes me think about it too… That, if I had been there for you two, maybe… Maybe I could’ve done somethin’ to help.”

Ann looked at him, silently, for a moment.

“I didn’t know.”

“But, the thing is…” he proceeded, “there was nothing any of us could do. Kamoshida had everyone on his side, and if we tried to do somethin’ against him, he would just… Hurt us instead.”

He reached for her hand over the table, carefully holding it.

“I wish things had been different too,” he said, “but we still did everythin’ we could for her, and everyone else he hurt. We made sure it won’t happen again.”

“But it’s still so wrong…” Ann shook her head. “Even if he confessed everything, it didn’t give back to Shiho the things he took from her! She can’t even play anymore… It’s so unfair.”

Maybe if he was someone else, he would be able to offer her more comforting words, or some kind of optimistic perspective. However, just like her, he had nothing but frustration inside his chest.

“It really is.”

Ann turned her hand upward, holding Ryuji’s. Neither of them spoke for the following minutes, the distant sounds of cups meeting the table and low conversations surrounded them like a cloud as they lost themselves to their own thoughts. Ann’s voice was what finally broke the silence.

“Back then,” she said, “I was so hurt that you stopped talking to me, that I didn’t really stop to think about what you were going through. I…” She lowered her voice. “I should have been there for you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Ryuji. “I’d probably just have yelled at you, or some shit like that.”

“That’s true… We’d probably end up at each other’s throats, and expelled from school.”

“Yeah… I can see that.”

They looked at each other, exchanging tiny, slightly sad smiles.

“In a way, we failed each other, didn’t we?” asked Ann.

“Guess we did.”

Without thinking much, Ryuji gently squeezed her hand.

“But that won’t happen again,” he added. “I promise, okay?”

Ann nodded, then lowered her gaze to their hands.

“I know,” she murmured. “I promise it too.”

* * *

Ann’s parents were visiting during that week, which meant a small break for the Phantom Thieves. Ryuji and Akira took the day to visit the arcade together, taking Morgana with them, hidden inside Akira’s bag.

“You two are terrible at games…” Commented the cat as they finally left the place. “I’m sure I could do better, even with these paws.”

“Yeah, you sure would…” answered Ryuji. “Too bad you don’t even reach the controls.”

“You should be glad that I don’t!” Morgana groaned. “Just wait until I get my human body back… I will show you how a real gamer plays.”

“You could always do that with my video game,” said Akira. “I’m sure someone as skilled as you won’t have a problem defeating us.”

Morgana stared at Akira, clearly unhappy with the suggestion.

“It’s not the same thing,” he finally said.

“I thought a _real gamer_ like you wouldn’t have a problem with that…”

Saying that, Ryuji petted Morgana’s head in a less than delicate manner.

“Stop it!” protested Morgana. “You’re so annoying…”

Akira laughed, more than used to those playful fights. As they walked, the cold wind of early evening enveloped them, making Ryuji shiver and cross his arms to keep his chest warm. Akira pulled his sleeves over his hands to protect them from the cold, a gesture that Ryuji thought was kinda cute.

“It’s so cold in here…” complained Morgana, calling his attention.

He threw Ryuji a sad look that made clear what he wanted. Ryuji sighed.

“Fine, fine…”

He opened the zipper of his jacket, reaching for Morgana, taking him out of Akira’s bag. Morgana let out a pleased meow when Ryuji closed the zipper again with him inside, with only his head and the tips of his paws uncovered.

“Much better!” said Morgana. “Too bad it has to be Ryuji, though…”

“Keep complainin’ and you’ll go back to the bag,” retorted Ryuji.

“You get offended so easily…”

“Stop pushin’ your luck, you rude cat.”

“I’m not a cat!”

Once again, Akira simply laughed at their bickering. Soon, however, he stopped walking, gesturing toward a convenience store.

“Hey, I’ll buy some snacks for Futaba,” he said. “Anything you want?”

“Not really.” Ryuji shrugged. “I’ll wait here with Mona, then.”

“Alright. Be back in a minute.”

They watched as Akira went inside. Even if it wouldn’t take long, Ryuji sat on the sidewalk. With Morgana’s weight now on his legs, he rested his arms a little, preparing them for the rest of the trip back. It didn’t take too long for Morgana’s voice to call his attention again.

“Listen, Ryuji…” he said. “I know I’m not a cat.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“No, I mean…” Morgana seemed to struggle with the words. “I’m sure I’m not a cat, but… Maybe I’m not human either.”

Ryuji looked at him, unsure of how to react to such a statement.

“What are you talkin’ about?”

Morgana hesitated for a few seconds.

“What would you think if I wasn’t normal?” he asked.

“Mona, right now you’re a talkin’ cat.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

His voice sounded low and tired, very unlike his usual bratty attitude when they talked about the subject.

“Did you remember somethin’?” asked Ryuji.

“No…” Morgana’s ears lowered as he answered. “But I have this feeling that something is wrong.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m not what I think I am.”

They both stayed silent for a while.

“Would it be that bad if you ain’t a human, though?” asked Ryuji. “I mean… You’ve been livin’ as a cat for months now. If you happened to really be a cat, would you hate it that much?”

“I don’t know.” Morgana shook his head. “I want to be a human, but… Even as a cat, I think I’d be fine too.” He made a hesitant pause. “But what if I’m neither? What if I’m something… bad?”

Ryuji frowned at that implication.

“What the hell? You ain’t bad.”

“But I might be,” insisted Morgana. “I don’t know what I am… It could be anything.”

He couldn’t disagree with that last part. Now, it was easy to forget that Morgana was different from everything they had seen before. Not only his appearance or ability to talk like a cat, but his connection to the Metaverse, and obsession with treasures… Even after everything they did as Phantom Thieves, there were still many things they didn’t understand about the Metaverse; and, as strange as it could sound, that included Morgana himself.

Those things had never bothered Ryuji before, since he never thought of Morgana as anything other than… well, _Morgana_. But, when he gave it a deeper consideration, it wasn’t surprising that Morgana felt that way— _how would he feel if he didn’t know what he was, or where he came from?_

Still, the way Morgana said those things bothered him. It was true that Ryuji didn’t know anything about him from before they met in Kamoshida’s palace, but…

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” admitted Ryuji. “But, no matter what you are, you still ain’t bad.”

“How can you know that?”

“C’mon…” Ryuji patted his head. “Even without memories, the first thing you did after we met was help us out of Kamoshida’s palace. And you’ve helped a lot more people since then… Without you, there’d be no Phantom Thieves, and people like Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro would still be hurtin’ others. Futaba would still be locked inside her bedroom, Goro would still be workin’ for Shido, and Haru would still be engaged to that asshole. But you helped us change all that.” He made a pause. “No way you can be bad after doin’ so much good, right?”

Morgana turned his head, glancing at Ryuji before lowering his gaze again.

“Do you think so?”

“Yeah,” agreed Ryuji. “You’re Mona. Doesn’t matter what you are, you’ll still be Mona. And, even if you ain’t a human or a cat, you’re still our friend.”

He didn’t answer, seeming deep in thought. Ryuji leaned slightly forward, resting his chin on the top of Morgana’s head.

“It’ll be fine, I’m tellin’ you.” He added in a low voice. “You’re a good guy, and really important to all of us. Nothin’ can change that.”

“Really?” asked Morgana.

“Really.”

Despite the following silence, Morgana’s ears slowly lifted again, which was a small relief. He then forced a long, exasperated sigh.

“Ah… Why did I expect a different answer from someone like Ryuji?”

And, just like that, he was back to being a brat.

“You still complainin’?” asked Ryuji in disbelief.

“Well, it’s all your fault for being Ryuji.”

“C’mon, I’m even sharin’ my jacket with you!” Ryuji shook his head. “Ungrateful little furball.”

Morgana laughed to himself. He rubbed his little head against Ryuji’s chin in an affectionate gesture, and Ryuji scratched his ears in return, until Akira finally rejoined them a few minutes later.

* * *

It became something like a habit, whenever he went out with Yusuke, to enter any arts and crafts store they happened to pass by. Yusuke didn’t always buy something, but it seemed like the simple act of looking at those many supplies was enough to make him feel excited.

Ryuji didn’t know much about art—other than what Yusuke told him—but it was still fun to go around, hearing him talk about something he was so passionate about, explain how those different tools and supplies worked, and what he would be able to do with them. If anything, his enthusiasm was highly contagious.

“Oh, look.” Yusuke’s surprised voice grabbed his attention. “These ones are at a good price.”

Ryuji faced Yusuke, who showed him a palette of colorful paint under a transparent cover.

“Watercolors,” clarified Yusuke. “I’ve been wanting to buy a set for a while.”

_Watercolors…_ That brought Ryuji some memories of him in art class many years before, trying to paint a sad and wrinkled piece of paper with what soon became poop-colored water. He quickly tried to push the unfortunate memory away, before he could feel embarrassed by it again.

“You don’t have one?” He asked, slightly confused. “I was sure you showed me some watercolor stuff before…”

“Oh, I did,” answered Yusuke. “But I made them at school… Never used them in a personal project.”

“Really?”

Yusuke nodded.

“Madarame insisted that I should focus on perfecting my skill with oils,” he explained. “So, I didn’t have the chance to try many different materials outside of school.”

His words made Ryuji’s stomach turn. _Of course Madarame did that…_ Because he didn’t want Yusuke to pursue his interests, he simply wanted a talented pupil to do all his work for him. When Ryuji gave it some thought, it wasn’t surprising that Yusuke got _that_ excited looking at all those art supplies… Of course he would want to try them all, now that he finally could—now that his artworks were _his_ again.

“Man…” Ryuji sighed, cracking his knuckles in an attempt to calm down that sudden wave of anger. “Sometimes I wish I punched that old bastard when I had the chance.”

Yusuke offered him a slight smile.

“What matters is that it’s over now,” he said. “But I appreciate the concern.”

Even if he said that, it was still frustrating to think of everything Yusuke had to endure for so many years, all because of that old man’s greed. Ryuji was trying hard to learn how to control his anger, but when it came to things like that… It was still difficult. He took a deep breath, watching as Yusuke opened his wallet, counting the money inside of it.

“Oh, I have just enough to pay for it. However…” He stared at his wallet for a moment, furrowing his brow. The words that followed were no more than a mutter. “Maybe if I spend the next week without food…”

An alarm immediately went out inside Ryuji’s head. He reached for Yusuke’s wallet, taking it out of his hands.

“Stop right there!” he said. “What did I say about starvin’ yourself for art?”

Yusuke averted his gaze, a shadow of guilt covering his face.

“That I shouldn’t do it…” he muttered.

He seemed to deflate as he said that. Ryuji observed him for a moment, then gave him his wallet back.

“How much is it?” Ryuji glanced at the price tag. “Okay, then… Take it.”

Yusuke blinked, confused.

“Did you change your mind?”

“‘Course not!” Ryuji reached for his own wallet, counting the money inside of it. “I’ll buy it for you. You better save that money for food, you hear me?”

“Are you sure?”

Ryuji raised his eyes, meeting Yusuke’s gaze.

“You want it, don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, but…”

“Then, just take it.” He gestured toward the cashier. “Now, let’s pay for it, so we can go grab somethin’ to eat. I’m starving…”

He expected Yusuke to be happy with the gift, but, instead, he stayed in place, seeming reluctant.

“Isn’t that a problem for you?” he asked in a low voice.

“What is?”

“Spending your money on food and art supplies for me.”

Ryuji furrowed his brow. Yusuke never seemed to worry about that before, so he wasn’t expecting a question like that.

“Nah, man,” he said. “That’s fine.”

“Don’t you have other things you wish to spend your income on, though?” insisted Yusuke.

The question made him think. Every month, he gave half of his income to his mother, to help with their expenses, but the other half—which she _refused_ to take—was his to spend however he wanted. He usually bought a new game, or some manga with it, but it wasn’t like he had something he _really_ wanted to spend his money on. If anything, his first instinct was to spend it with his friends, going out with them to have fun and eat together. And sometimes, like that day, he liked to give them something he knew would make them happy.

“Not really.” He gave a small shrug. “I’m givin’ you stuff ‘cause I want to.” He stopped talking, a thought crossing his mind. “Why? You don’t like it when I do it?”

“Of course I like it,” answered Yusuke. “But I never give you anything in return.”

“Bullshit.” Ryuji dismissed his answer with a gesture. “You give me cool drawings, and you’re always spendin’ time with me. And, even if you _really_ didn’t give me anythin’, it ain’t like I gave you this to get somethin’ from you.” He gave Yusuke a light pat on the back. “C’mon, it’s just a gift… Don’t think too much about it.”

Yusuke nodded in response. They paid for the watercolors, then left the store. As soon as he had the bag in his hands, Yusuke’s previous concerns seemed to fade, once again giving place to excitement.

“Can’t wait to try them, can you?” asked Ryuji.

“Barely,” answered Yusuke.

“Guess we’re going straight back to your dorm after eatin’, then…” Ryuji laughed to himself. “I’m kinda curious to see what you’ll do with them, too.”

“I’ll repay you for this someday.”

“Yeah. Once you’re all famous and stuff, you better treat me to dinner every week.”

He offered Yusuke a playful grin, which was soon returned by Yusuke’s subtle, but warm smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

Ryuji met Makoto in Shibuya that Sunday, and, as planned since the previous week, they entered together the train to the amusement park. Makoto had her calm and cool expression, but the small things—like her fingers tapping her own arm, or the way she kept her gaze on that dot on the map that represented their destination—betrayed her true feelings. Ryuji didn’t comment on it, but watched her closely. He was used to seeing Akira and Ann, or even Futaba doing things like that, but when it came from someone like Makoto it seemed even cuter.

“Our station is the next one, right?” she asked after a while.

“Yeah,” Ryuji offered her a wide smile. “You ready?”

“I must admit I’m getting excited.” She returned his smile with a more discreet one. “The last time I visited an amusement park like this, I was just a toddler.”

“That’s kinda sad…” He thought for a moment. “Well, let’s make up for it today!”

They disembarked the train, then walked the short path to the park. Ryuji stopped a little past the entrance, looking at Makoto.

“Anywhere you wanna go first?”

“Good question…” Makoto took a look around. “Everything seems equally dangerous and terrifying from here.”

That answer made Ryuji look at her, furrowing his brow.

“Wait…” he said. “Could it be that you’re scared, _Queen_?”

“A Queen is never scared.” She retorted in a calm and confident tone. “Simply… cautious.”

“Yeah, sure…” Ryuji shrugged. “Roller coaster it is, then.”

“Wait… already?”

He responded with a wide grin, reaching for her wrist to pull her along. Makoto followed him, and her confidence seemed to diminish as their turn approached. Ryuji noticed a small shiver as she watched the cart pass by them and face a loop at full speed, accompanied by the screams of its passengers.

“This really is safe, right?” she asked in a low voice.

“Wanna try somethin’ else?”

She considered it for a moment, then shook her head.

“No,” she said. “If I give up so soon, I’ll only lose my courage to try the other ones.”

Soon, their turn came. Before the ride started, Makoto was already pale and stiff as a board, and part of Ryuji worried that she would pass out by the end of it. A moment before the cart’s first fall, she grabbed Ryuji’s hand, and he held it tightly.

The cart went down, quickly starting to gain speed. Ryuji screamed the air out of his lungs, while Makoto had her eyes and mouth closed tightly. At some point, she risked a glance, and only then a small scream left her mouth. She shut her eyes again, tightening the grip on Ryuji’s hand.

After visiting that place many times with his friends, Ryuji came to love the sensation caused by that ride; but, every single time, as soon as they reached the ground again, his legs seemed to turn into jello.

“Shit, I’m dizzy…” he said.

“I know,” answered Makoto beside him. “Just don’t lean on me, or we’ll both fall.”

“Okay…” Ryuji looked around, searching for somewhere they could rest. “There, found a bench.”

Makoto followed him, and they sat side by side. When his brain stopped spinning inside his head, Ryuji looked at her.

“It was fun, wasn’t it?”

“It was… intense.” She showed him a slight smile. “But not in a bad way.”

“Ready for the next one?”

She nodded.

“Which do you suggest?”

“Lemme think.”

They spent the following hours going from one ride to the other. Makoto’s caution soon seemed to fade, allowing her to enjoy those rides better, with growing excitement. Some time later, however, all that walking and screaming started to have its effects on them.

“I think I need a break,” she said.

“Yeah, me too. Wanna find somewhere to sit?”

Makoto thought for a second.

“Isn’t there a calmer ride for us to try?” she asked. “Just to slow down a little.”

“How about the Ferris Wheel?” suggested Ryuji. “It goes really slow, and it’s pretty calming. I mean, as long as you ain’t scared of heights.”

“Are you?”

“Nah. You?”

“Me neither.” She smiled. “Well, it sounds like a plan.”

They walked together to the Ferris Wheel, and were lucky to find a short line. In a few minutes it was already their turn. They went inside, sitting across from each other, enjoying the view as they slowly got higher and farther from the ground.

“The view is so beautiful from up here,” she said.

“Yeah,” agreed Ryuji. “It looks really pretty at night too… You can see all the lights.”

“I can imagine… We should come back later to see it.”

“Sounds good to me.”

It was funny how such a simple thing quickly grabbed her interest. Makoto was usually so serious and mature, always coming up with plans and taking care of them… It was nice seeing her so relaxed, simply enjoying herself for a change.

“So,” said Ryuji, “are you havin’ fun today?”

“Yes.” Her expression brightened as she looked at him. “Thank you for accompanying me. It’s a little embarrassing that a girl my age has close to no experience with places like this.”

“No need to be embarrassed by it. And, if you wanna go anywhere else, just tell me. I’d really like to do somethin’ like this again.”

She looked at him, and soon a slightly amused smile took her lips.

“Very well,” she said. “I shall name you my Royal Knight.”

Those unexpected words made Ryuji laugh—maybe visiting such a place had awakened her playful side.

“Fancy title,” he said.

Makoto covered her mouth with her fingers as a small chuckle escaped her lips.

“Who said going out with me doesn’t have its perks?”

* * *

Ryuji waited at Shibuya for about fifteen minutes before he finally received that message.

**Futaba: Sorry, I can’t go.**

His stomach sank, and he quickly typed the response.

**Ryuji: Is everything alright?**

**Futaba: Can’t leave home.**

**Futaba: Too anxious.**

It wasn’t the first time something like that happened. Futaba had made some incredible progress in such a short time, but there were days when her anxiety still got the best of her.

**Ryuji: Fine if I go see you?**

**Futaba: Bring snacks.**

He smiled at that request, despite the concern. Even if things like that happened from time to time—which was understandable, given everything Futaba went through in those past two years—Ryuji couldn’t help but worry about her being alone while feeling that way. It took quite some time for her to trust him enough to open up and welcome his presence during bad moments, and Ryuji didn’t want her to regret it, even if, sometimes, he didn’t know exactly what to do to make her feel better.

On his way to Yongen-Jaya, he stopped by a convenience store, buying a bunch of snacks—which never failed to cheer her up a little. He then walked past the Leblanc, approaching the door to her house. Futaba opened the door, looking at him with a slightly judging expression.

“Took you long enough…” she said.

Of course she would complain…

“Hey… I came as fast as I could,” said Ryuji. “I’d have to fly here to come any faster.”

“Why didn’t you, then?”

“Good question.” Ryuji shrugged. “I’ll try it next time.”

The suggestion seemed to amuse her.

“I’d want to see that…” she said.

“You just wanna see me fall after tryin’…”

“Yep.”

Ryuji frowned, and Futaba showed a slight smile.

“Gremlin…” said Ryuji.

“Himbo.”

She stepped aside, allowing Ryuji to enter the house. The two walked to her bedroom, sitting close to each other on her bed.

“So…” He said, looking at her. “How are you feelin’?”

“A little better, but still…” She twisted her lips, lowering her gaze. “Sorry… I guess today is just a bad day.”

“Don’t worry about it. We can go to Akihabara anytime.”

“I guess…” She risked a glance at him. “Aren’t you disappointed, though?”

“Nah.” He shrugged. “Anyway, look at this.”

Ryuji raised the plastic bag, offering it to Futaba. A look inside of it was enough to brighten her expression.

“Wow, you brought a lot!”

“Yeah. We can spend the entire day eatin’ now.”

“Ohh… The perfect plan!” She grabbed a few of her favorite ones, saving them for herself. “Games and snacks?”

“Sounds good.”

That wouldn’t be an unusual afternoon for them, since both liked video games. Futaba suggested a game that Ryuji hadn’t played yet, so he agreed on the choice. It was bright and fun, but Ryuji wasn’t that great with platformers, and it only became more apparent when he played with Futaba, who never hesitated before a jump, and still never missed.

“You know,” she said after a while, “having you here is way more fun than spending the day alone.”

“Doesn’t sound like the bar was set too high, though.”

“You’re wrong!” Futaba gave him some light taps on the shoulder. “I love being alone, so great job on topping that!”

Her words made a wide grin take his face. Noticing it, Futaba poked him on the ribs.

“But don’t get too full of yourself…” she said. “You still suck at this game.”

* * *

Haru turned the stove lights on, and both of them took a peek at those pastries, now with a golden-brown tone. They took the tray out of the oven, and the sugary smell soon filled the kitchen of Haru’s house.

“They smell good!” said Ryuji.

“They do,” agreed Haru. “Almost makes me want to eat them like this.”

They waited until the pastries cooled down a little, then started the careful process of filling them with chocolate cream, covering them in sugar and cinnamon. Only then they took one for each, finally tasting those sweets. They were delicious… Which wasn’t a surprise: the two of them had made that same recipe many times already, always making small adjustments in the search for the perfect texture and flavor.

“I think this one’s the winner,” said Ryuji.

“I think so too, but the blueberry one isn’t too far behind.”

Saying that, Haru took a second bite of the sweet while thinking.

“We could try a spicy filling next time.” She showed an amused smile. “Then, we’ll give an entire batch to Goro.”

“Yeah.” Ryuji laughed, but soon stopped, narrowing his eyes at her. “Wait… You ain’t serious, right?”

Haru giggled, briefly waving her hand in front of her face.

“Of course not,” she said. “But I admit I would love to see him make _that_ expression again.”

_And that was why he could never be sure…_

“For such a sweet girl, you sure can be evil,” he said.

“So, make sure to stay on my good side.”

She offered him a playful wink.

“No way I’ll forget about that…” He showed a slight grimace. “You could give me somethin’ filled with coffee if I did.”

“That’s a good suggestion.”

“Ah, fuck…”

Haru giggled at his reaction as she started to bring the dishes to the sink.

“But I’ll save that idea for later…” she said. “Since you’re being really nice today, I’ll let you clean the chocolate leftovers, instead.”

“Nice! Gimme!”

She offered him the bowl, and, without thinking twice, Ryuji started to clean the leftovers with his fingers. He knew it made him look like a child, but he and Haru had spent enough time baking together to not be embarrassed by those small things.

They placed some of the pastries in a container, to share them with the group later. As for the rest, they would be gone in just a few minutes, as soon as Haru finished making the tea for them. While she boiled the water, Ryuji washed the dishes, so they would have fewer things to clean after eating.

With everything done, they sat by the table, taking more of those desserts.

“I’ll consider this recipe a huge success,” she said. “Any ideas of what we should try next time?”

Ryuji thought for a moment.

“I think banana would be good,” he said.

“I was considering strawberries. But we can try both, some variety will be good.”

“Yeah!” Thinking about those new flavors was enough to make Ryuji look forward to their next baking session. “If we keep this up, soon you’ll have the entire menu for your cafe ready.”

Haru nodded, seeming amused by the thought.

“That’s true.” She went silent for a second, a slight smile taking her lips as she looked at those pastries. “Spending the afternoon like this makes me think… In the future, I would like to do this every day. Testing new recipes and sharing them with others sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” agreed Ryuji. “Sounds a lot like you, too.”

The response made Haru look at him.

“Do you think so?”

“Yeah,” said Ryuji. “You’re always thinkin’ about how to make other people happy, so a job like that really suits you.”

She considered it for a moment.

“I guess it does,” she said. “To be able to do what I love, and bring smiles to people’s faces with it… When you put it like that, it makes me feel like I’m on the right path.” She let out a small, pleased laugh. “That’s a reassuring thought.”

“Good to hear that,” said Ryuji. “But, y’know… I still wanna be the first one to try your sweets.”

That request brightened her expression.

“Of course!” she said. “I hoped you would keep taste-testing them for me in the future.”

“Don’t even need to ask.”

Ryuji took another bite of that pastry. He was already full, but they tasted so good that he just didn’t want to stop…

“Ah, Ryuji…” said Haru. “Your face is a mess!”

“Is it?”

“Here, let me help you.”

She reached for a napkin, carefully cleaning the side of his mouth while carrying a fond smile on her face.

* * *

Ryuji had been in Goro’s new apartment a few times before. The first of which had been with Akira, to help Goro move his few belongings upstairs. It was much smaller than the previous one, since Goro couldn’t count on Shido’s money anymore, but he didn’t seem to mind it—according to him, it was a relief to finally be free of all the negative memories associated with that place.

That was, however, his first visit after they faced Shido.

“Is your wound gettin’ better?” asked Ryuji.

Goro absentmindedly placed a hand over his shoulder.

“Yes,” he said. “It’s hurting much less to move my arm now. A few more days, and it should be back to normal.”

Ryuji nodded.

“How about your leg?” asked Goro.

“It’s fine.” Ryuji briefly moved his leg to prove it. “Just needed to rest it for a while.”

“That’s good to know.”

He didn’t say anything else. Ryuji watched him for a while: Goro was good at hiding his feelings, but there was no way those past few days hadn’t affected him in any way; besides, with their growing proximity, he was starting to get pretty good at reading Goro Akechi.

“How are you feelin’?” Ryuji asked in a low voice.

Goro hesitated a little, but ended up showing a small, slightly sad smile.

“Strangely, much better than I thought I’d be.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Ryuji asked, placing a hand on his knee.

“I don’t know…” Goro sighed, lowering his eyes. “It’s still hard to believe it’s over.”

“Anythin’ I can do to cheer you up?”

That question seemed to grab Goro’s attention.

“Can I ask anything?”

“As long as it ain’t impossible, yeah.”

Goro let out a low, brief chuckle.

“Are you sure you want to pamper me this much?” he asked. “I might get used to it.”

“You deserve it.”

“You’re probably the only one who thinks so.”

Ryuji stared at him, not liking that response.

“C’mon, you know that ain’t true.” He moved his hand, touching Goro’s arm, carefully avoiding his injury. “We’re all happy that you chose to join us. Really, you’re the one who’s hardest on yourself.”

“Maybe…”

Despite the answer, he still didn’t seem so certain of it.

“Hey…” murmured Ryuji. “Take your time to deal with all this. But don’t think we ain’t glad to have you around, okay? ‘Cause we are.”

Goro raised his head, meeting Ryuji’s gaze.

“Are _you_?” he asked.

Ryuji furrowed his brow at that silly question.

“You still need to ask that?”

Goro shook his head, a tiny smile appearing on his lips.

“No,” he said. “I just wanted to hear it.”

He shouldn’t be surprised that, after everything that happened, Goro would need that kind of reassurance. Still, it made Ryuji wish he was more confident on how much he—and the others—came to care about him since he joined the Phantom Thieves.

“Yeah,” said Ryuji. “I am.”

The response seemed to make Goro relax a little.

“Hearing this is more reassuring than I thought…” he muttered.

Before Ryuji could answer, Goro looked at him with a slight grin.

“Are you still willing to do anything I ask you?” he said.

“Yeah.”

“Then… Can you bake me something?”

The question made Ryuji giggle—he couldn’t think of a more Goro-like request.

“Should’ve expected…” He shook his head, amused. “You want anythin’ in special?”

“Not really…” Goro shrugged. “Anything sweet will do.”

“Alright, then. I’ll see what I can do with what you’ve got here.”

Goro seemed surprised by those words.

“Are you going to do it now?” he asked.

“Ain’t that the idea?”

“If you don’t mind it, then…”

He indicated the kitchen to Ryuji, then followed him to it. After checking the pantry and fridge, Ryuji realized he didn’t have many options.

“I think I can make some cookies with what we got here,” he said. “Or we can go out to buy what I need to make a cake.”

“No, cookies sound good.”

With that settled, Ryuji started to work on the dough, using a chopped chocolate bar in place of chocolate chips. It was a simple recipe, so he chose to compensate by adding way more chocolate than necessary. Goro sat on the counter, watching as Ryuji worked.

“The last time someone baked something especially for me, I was still a kid,” he commented in a low voice.

He didn’t need to say much more than that for Ryuji to know what—or who—he had in mind when he said those words. Thinking about a young Goro, feeling happy and safe with his mom, was enough to break his heart all over again.

“You can just ask me whenever you wanna eat somethin’ different,” he said. “It ain’t a problem, so don’t worry about that.”

Goro showed him a half-grin.

“I’ll remember that,” he said, “so I hope you won’t change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

Ryuji’s serious answer made Goro look him in the eyes. He lowered his gaze again, but this time his smile, despite small, was a sincere one.

“I know.”

* * *

As the Phantom Thieves made their way deeper into Mementos, they got ambushed by a group of shadows; in a second, they had their weapons in hand, ready to battle. Futaba gave them instructions as they fought side by side, attacking the shadows while watching each others’ backs.

Everything was going as usual, and their victory seemed certain. However, after hitting a shadow with his pipe, Ryuji noticed another one moving toward Akira, who was distracted preparing an attack with his persona. He could yell to warn him, but the shadow was too close… If Akira moved away just a second too late, he would be hit. He couldn’t allow that—no one sneaked on his leader and best friend on his watch.

With that in mind, Ryuji called Captain Kidd, casting Zionga. It worked: the shadow turned its attention away from Akira, focusing on him instead. The problem was Ryuji hadn’t planned what to do after that… He avoided a physical attack, hitting the shadow’s body with his pipe. It would have gone smoothly if, while he was distracted, another shadow hadn’t attacked him by surprise. A hoarse scream left his mouth as his entire body was taken by pain and seemed to lose its strength, making him fall on his knees.

_Wind…_ Of course, out of everything, it had to be _wind_.

His vision became blurred for a moment. After blinking a few times, he managed to see the two shadows approaching. The first one raised its fists, while the other prepared another magic attack. Ryuji closed his eyes, preparing himself for those attacks.

One second, then another… He heard the sound of steps around him, but felt no pain. It was the sound of something hitting what seemed to be a solid object that finally made Ryuji open his eyes. Futaba had managed to raise a protective barrier around him in time—but, even if she hadn’t, the shadows’ attacks would never have reached Ryuji, since his entire team was forming a human shield around him, keeping him out of those shadows’ reach. Akira looked at him over his shoulder, offering him a brief, slight smile before facing their opponents again.

“Mona, Queen, check if he’s injured,” he said. “Everyone else, with me!”

“The small one uses wind!” said Futaba from inside her persona. “Don’t let it get close to Skull again!”

“It better not even dream of it…” muttered Goro.

Ryuji couldn’t react for a while, simply watching as his friends jumped back into that battle, while Makoto crouched beside him, checking his wounds.

“You guys just…”

“What did you say?” asked Makoto.

He didn’t answer. It had happened in no more than an instant… Still, they were all there, between him and those shadows, as if… As if they hadn’t hesitated for a single moment before shielding him from those attacks.

“Skull?” Makoto’s concerned voice brought him back to reality. “What’s wrong? Where is it hurting?”

Only then he noticed the tears running down his cheeks. He quickly brought his hand to his face, drying them with his glove.

“I’m fine.”

Morgana let out a small sigh.

“If it’s bad, you should just say it,” he said. “It’ll be worse for everyone if you try to act tough and hide an injury, you know?”

As much as he tried to sound exasperated, it wasn’t hard to notice the concern in his voice. All of that was enough to bring a teary, but wide smile to Ryuji’s face.

“No, really…” he insisted. “I’m really fine.”

“Just don’t push yourself too far, alright?” said Makoto.

“Exactly,” agreed Morgana. “Just stay back and let us take care of it this time.”

Ryuji nodded, watching as they joined the others in that battle as soon as his wounds were healed.

“I’m countin’ on you guys.”

He knew he would do anything for any of them, not because he wanted something in return, but simply because of how much he loved them. He was so used to worrying about them, and making sure they were happy and safe that, sometimes, it escaped his mind that his friends felt the same way about him. Coming to that realization was enough to fill his heart with a warmth he couldn’t even begin to describe, and he was glad the others were so focused in that battle, so they wouldn’t see him crying like a little kid back there.

_He really was loved, wasn’t he?_

**Author's Note:**

> It's almost 2021 and Ryuji is still the best boy.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


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